Hat brim curling machine



June 6, 1939. M CASSE 2,161,017

HAT BRIM CURLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a, 353@ 40 y e@ June` 6,v 1939. A M. CASSE 2,161,017

` HAT BRIM CURLING MACHINE 7n. @we l /NVe/V gr Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Marcel Cass, Essonnes, France Application January 3,

1938, Serial No. 183,192

In France February 17, 1937 4 Claims.

The automatic machines for curling hat brims,

i. e. for shaping the edge of said brims, comprise tWo principal mechanisms: an oval turning mechanism o-r oval lathe, upon the plate of which 5 is secured the hat, and a curling tool consisting essentially of a rotary wheel which presses upon the upper face of the hat brim and obliges it to assume the shape of a groove which is formed in a hot iron. The edge of the hat brim is previously moistened by a workman by means of a wet sponge. Owing to said moistening operation, and also to the fact that the known machines, when at work, require the interference of the workman for the reasons which will be hereinafter set forth, the workman can only work a single machine.

The. known machines have a common general arrangement. The hat is mounted in the upright position, i. e. with the crown above the brim, on the plate of the machine. In these conditions, the curling wheel and its driving mechanism are situated above the hat brim, and this latter may' become stained by the oil or grease used with such mechanisms. Moreover, the devices which transmit the movement to said oval lathe, on the one hand, and to said wheel on the other hand, while permitting said Wheel of being moved back for the insertion of the hat and of being displaced in order to provide for curls of different sizes, are of course of a rather complicated construction, as said devices must so to speak surround the hat since the drive of said oval lathe is located below and the wheel above the hat rim.

Finally, it is difficult to utilize an automatic device for moistening the edge of the hat brim, for instance by a supply of steam, as any excess of water will wet the plate and will flow upon the hat brim. y

On the other hand, the oval lathe in general use in brim curling machines is an elliptical lathe provided with two guides, or is a modification of the elliptical lathe by the deformation of the two guides of said lathe. It is a known fact that such a mechanism is defective from the fact that it does not bring each point of the oval defining the hat brim against the wheel in a fixed direction tangent to the said Wheel. For this reason, the curling will be unequal on the temples of the hat brim.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved hat brim curling machine, which obviates the drawbacks ofthe known machinos, which is simple, economical and effective and in which, according to a rst feature of the invention, the hat is disposed with the crown downwards and the brim upwards.

This disposition permits of placing ail the mechanical devices below the plane of the hat brim, thus obviating all dropping of grease or 5 oil upon the hat. On the other hand, it provides for the ready mounting of a device for moistening the edge of the hat brim, so that on the onev hand the water or steam, or a mixture of the same, may be brought direct upon the 10 normally lower face of the hat brim, which is positioned upwardly and will engage the hot iron, and on the other hand, all excess of water will flow away naturally and will not soil the hat.

According to a further feature, the oval lathe 15 by which the hat is rotated is constituted, as known per se, in such a manner that each point of the oval defining the edge of the hat brim is brought in contact with the curling tool in such 'a way that the tangent to this oval at said point 20 will coincide with a fixed direction, which is tangent to the curling tool.

Preferably, the driving shaft of the oval lathe has a variable eccentricity, thus providing for variations of the oval trajectory of the hat and hence for unequal curls at the sides, at the front and/or at the back of the hat brim, if the oval described by the lathe does not coincide with the oval dening the hat brim.

According to a further feature, the axis of the hat may be made eccentric with reference to the axis of the driven member of the oval lathe, and this will permit of obtaining an unequal curling at the front and back of the hat brim.

According to further features:

The vertical driving shaft of the oval lathe and the vertical shaft of the rotary wheel, are actuated by means of two pairs of worm gearing pertaining to a single horizontal shaft which receives itself the movement for driving the machine;

The iron which is heated electrically or by gas is mounted on the end of a pivotedarm, which provides for its ready moving away from the hat brim whenthe operation is nished.

In the accompanying drawings which are given solely by way of example:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line l-I of Fig. 3, of a machine in conformity with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view.

In the embodiment herein represented, the hat I is placed in the inverted position within a sort of oval pot 2, and the band 3 of the hat is maintained by a slightly tapered form piece 4 placed in the interior of the crown of the hat. The base 5 of the pot 2 rests upon an oval plate 6, and is set in motion by means of two studs 'I carried by said plate. A

The oval plate 6 rests upon a cylindrical member 8 having a vertical axis AA, which causes said plate to rotate by means of a key 9 for eX- ample. The plate 6 is slidable on the member 8 in the direction of the large axis of its oval, i. e., parallel with the plane of Fig. 1. A nut ID, screwed on a screw I I is adapted to hold the plate 6 stationary with reference to member 8. Mem,- ber 8 forms the actuated part of an oval lathe of a well known type, by which the hat I can be rotated in such a manner that the tangent to the hat brim at a point xed in space, through which the various points of the hat brim pass in succession, will have a fixed direction.

Said lathe will be hereinafter described.

Member 8 comprises an internal tooth ring I2 and a cylindrical bore I3.

By means of this bore, member 8 is rotatable on a member I4. This latter is pivotally mounted, on a spindle I5 the axis CC of which is parallel with the axis AA, upon a plate I5 which is slidable, in a direction parallel with the plane of Fig. 1, upon the upper face, provided with guides, of a casing I8. Said casing is slidably mounted, by means of guides I9 (Fig. 3), parallel with the plane MM (Fig. 2), upon a second casing 28 which is mounted in a fixed position on the main frame 2|. A hand wheel |22 (Fig. 3) permits, by a suitable screw and nut device, of displacing the casing I8 upon the casing 28, in a direction parallel with the plane MM.

The internal toothing I2 of member 8 meshes with a pinion 2| the diameter of which is equal to the radius of the ring I2. Said pinion is keyed to a spindle 22 the axis BB of which is parallel with the axes AA and CC and is equidistant from these axes. Spindle 22 is rotatable in a bore 23 in the oscillating member I4, and is terminated at its lower part by a slide 24 which is slidable in horizontal guides 25 formed in a member 26 secured to a shaft 2'| having a vertical axis DD and which is rotatable in the base of the casing I8. The movements of the slide 24 upon the member 26, which serve to vary the eccentricity of the axis BB with reference to the axis DD, from a zero value upwards, are effected for instance by means of a screw 28 journalled in the member 26 and screwed into a movable nut 29 which is secured by a screw 3|] to the slide 24 and to the spindle 22.

The shaft 2'| the axis of which is DD, has keyed to it a worm-wheel |28. Said wheel is in mesh with a worm |29 formed upon a shaft |38 which is rotatable in the xcd casing 28. To shaft |38 is keyed the driven part 3| of a clutch device the driving partv of which consists of a pulley 32. The hub |32 of said pulley is rotatably and slidably mounted on a sleeve 33 which is concentric with the shaft |35 and is secured at 35 to the casing 20. |The movements of the hub |32 upon the said sleeve, for the coupling or uncoupling, at 35, of the members 3| and 32, are effected for instance by means of claws 35 secured toa ring 31 mounted on the fixed sleeve 33. Ring 31 carries a stud 38 (Figs. 2, 3) engaging a helical groove 39 in the sleeve 33, so that it is simply necessary to turn sleeve 33 in the direction of the arrow f1 (Fig. 3) in order to displace longitudinally said sleeve in the direction of the arroW f2 (Fig. 2) thus uncoupling the device at 35. The rotation of the sleeve 3l in the direction of the arrow f1 is effected, against the action of a clutch spring 39 (Fig. 3), by a lever 4i! acting upon a finger 4| pertaining to the sleeve 3l. The lever 48 is keyed to a shaft 42 which is journalled in bosses 43 of the casing 28. To the other end of the shaft 43 is keyed a lever 44 the forked end of which is situated below a stop 45 carried by a rod 46 leading to a pedal, not shown, which is located at the bottom of the machine, so that it is simply necessary to press down this pedal in order to uncouple shaft |39.

To said shaft |38 is keyed a worm-wheel 41 (Figs. 1 and 2) which is in mesh with a worm 48 keyed to a vertical shaft 49 the vertical axis of which is situated in the plane MM. Shaft 49 is journalled in bearings 58 and 5| carried by a support 52 secured to the xed casing 20. Shaft 49 extends upwardly beyond the said support, and its end forms a spindle 53 to which is secured a rod 55 carrying the curling wheel 55 which is thus removable and can hence be selected, as regards its outline, so as to suit the type of curled rim which is desired for the hat I.

Said wheel 55 may engage a groove 56 of a heating iron 5l, the heating of which may be effected by any suitable means, such as steam, hot air, or electricity. The iron 5l is mounted on a cylinder 58 which fits upon a supporting arm 59 and the height of which is adjustable by a screw 68 which is rotatable in the cylinder 58 and is screwed into the arm 59.

Said arm 59 is pivotally connected, through pivot 5| to the support 52. A spring 52 tends to pivot the arm 59 in the direction of the arrow f3 (Fig. 1), that is, in the direction in which it is applied against the wheel 55. A screw 63, forming an adjustable stop, serves to limit the pivoting movement of the arm: 59 in the direction of the arrow f3. Said arm can be receded from the wheel 55 against the action of the spring 62, by a rod 45 which is pivoted at 54 to the said arm 59. This arm can be held in the separated position by a stop 55 which is pivoted at 55 to the support 52.

The machine isV completed by a nozzle I 65 which serves to supply water and/or steam for moistening purposes, upon the normally lower face (now turned upwardly) of the hat rim I, adjacent the member 5l and back of this member with reference to the direction of rotation of the hat.

The operation is as follows: In the idle position, the arm 59 is held away from the wheel 55 by the stop 65, the rod 46 is lowered, and the shaft I 3!) is thus uncoupled. The pot 2 is stopped, as well as the wheel 55.

The hat I to be curled is placed in the pot 2 and is fitted with the form piece 4. The arm 59 is released from the stop 55, and the workman allows the clutch pedal, and hence the rod 45, to slowly rise. The arm 59 pivots, in therdirection of the arrow f3, and the member 5l now presses the rim of the hat I between the wheel 55 and the wall of groove 55, the hat rim having been engaged between these parts. At the same time, the lever 49 presses against the arm 4| (Fig. 3) of the clutch ring 3l, thus coupling the pulley 32 to the wheel 3|. The shaft |38 is thus set in rotation, and-through theV worm |29 and the wheel llit rotates thejournal 2l and the shaft 49.

The shaft 2l drives the entire oval lathe. The axis AA, While rotating about itself, also describes an oval, in the known manner, in such a manner that the pot 2 will bring all points of the hat brim in succession between the wheel 55 and the heating iron 51. The oval described by each point of the shaft AA will depend, as known, upon the eccentricity between the axes BB and DD, and this eccentricity is adjustable by means of the screw 28 which permits of displacing the slide 24 relatively to the member 26 carrying the journal 21.

The curling operation is completed when the entire hat brim has passed between the members 55 and 51.

It is simply necessary to press down the pedal in order to uncouple the device, so moving back at the same time the hot iron 51, due to the pivoting of the arm 59 in the contrary direction to the arrow f3.

It should be observed that owing to the use of said oval lathe of a known type, the hat brim is always brought with the same orientation between the members 55 and 51, i. e., the tangent to the edge of the hat, adjacent the said members, -will always coincide with the common tangent of these members. This will provide for an equal curling on both temples of the hat brim.

Owing to the possible displacement of the pot 2 and the plate 6 upon the member 8, it is feasible to make the axis of the pot 2 and hence the axis oi the hat l eccentric with reference to the axis AA of the member 8. This will permit of obtaining an unequal curling of the front and rear parts of the hat, the front part being less curled in order that it may be turned down (hat with fro-nt brim lowered). The eccentricity of the pot 2 with reference to the axis AA permits, in fact, of separating the hat I from the wheel 55 during half-a-revolution which corresponds to the front of the hat, and to approach it of the wheel by the same distance, for the other halfrevolution, so that for this latter half -revo1ution, corresponding to the back part of the hat, the brim of the hat is engaged between the members 55 and 51 to a much greater degree than for the front par-t.

According to the shape of the hat, the form of the oval described by the axis AA can be changed by varying the eccentricity of the axis BB relatively to the axis DD. The form of the oval described by the axis AA may diifer, or not, from that of the oval defining the hat brim. By the use of different ovals, it is possible to obtain different curls on the periphery of the hat.

According to the dimensions of the hat and of its brim, the entire oval lathe is moved towards or away from the wheel 55 by means of the handwheel |22, which displaces the casing I8, together with the whole mechanism, with reference to the xed casing 2U and hence with reference to the wheel 55.

Finally, by the vertical adjustment of the support 58 carrying the heating member 51, the pressure of the member 51 on the hat brim can be distributed as desired between the periphery of the brim and the part situated next the tie 3.

Obviously, the said invention is not limited to the embodiment herein described and represented, which is given solely by way of example.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hat brim curling machine comprising in combination a rotary curling wheel and a curling iron between which the edge 0f the hat brim to be curled is adapted to be passed, a movable supporting member adapted to support the hat with the crown positioned below the brim means for rotating said curling wheel, said means being located entirely below that surface of the supporting member contacted by the hat brim and a mechanism located below said supporting member for driving said supporting member to feed the edge of the hat brim past said curling iron.

2. In a hat brim curling machine, the combination with a curling Wheel and a mechanism for feeding the edge of the hat past said curling wheel, of a main driving shaft adapted to drive said curling wheel and said mechanism, clutching means on said driving shaft, a pivoting arm, a curling iron adapted to cooperate with said curling wheel and mounted at the free end of said arm, a rod, connecting means between said rod and said clutching means and said arm whereby said main driving shaft is unclutched and said i arm is pivoted to move said curling iron away from said curling Wheel when depressing said rod.

3. In a combination as claimed in claim 2, the further feature consisting in that said curling iron is adjustable in height along said arm.

4. A hat brim curling machine comprising in combination a rotary curling wheel and a curling iron between which the edge of the hat brim to be curled is adapted to be passed, a movable supporting member adapted to support the hat with the crown positioned below the brim, means located below that surface of said supporting member contacted by the hat brim for rotating said curling wheel and a mechanism for driving said supporting member to feed the edge of the hat brim past said curling iron so that the tangent to the hat brim at the point of contact with the curling iron will always have a constant direction, said mechanism comprising a casing, a driving shaft journalled in said casing, a spindle carried by said shaft in parallel relation therewith, an oscillating member journalled on said spindle 'and provided with a cylindrical bearing surface the axis of which is parallel to said spindle, a second spindle parallel to said first mentioned spindle and journalled in said oscillating member, the axis of said first mentioned spindle being located in the plane determined by the axis of said bearing surface and the axis of said second spindle, at the same distance of these two axes, said second spindle being slidably carried by said casing in a direction perpendicular to its axis, a driven member journalled on said bearing surface, transmission means for connecting said first mentioned spindle to said driven member whereby they are caused to rotate one with respect to the other at respective speeds of revolution which are in the ratio 2:1, said supporting member being mounted at the top of said driven member.

MARCEL cAss. 

